The problem with electronic mail todayEmail is not what it was supposed to be. Its inventors have not foreseen the dan¬gers associated with this new form of communication. Means of protection were added later on, but do little to protect people’s mailboxes. As a result, most of the mail traffic these days is unwanted: spam, malware, phishing. How can we use the AXIGEN Mail Server and existing free anti-spam, antivirus and anti-phishing software and technologies so that the result is more than the sum of the parts?Traditional filtering in AXIGENFrom its very beginnings, AXIGEN has integrated open-source filters such as SpamAssassin and ClamAV and has used the fastest way to process mails through them by interfacing with their daemons directly. But this usage scenario had a major downside: mail messages were scanned in the queue, after having been accepted by the mail server. As a result, “Spam” folders had the tendency to grow indefinitely and waste space in the server storage and backup mediums.A new approach to email filteringStarting with version 6.2.2, AXIGEN can integrate with a Milter filter at the SMTP level, enabling scanning of the incoming SMTP connections. The possibility to scan a message before receiving it opens up new perspectives, as it enables us to refuse a message if the content filters strongly indicate that the scanned message is unwanted.Let’s take a simple example, in which the decision to reject a mail was taken by the Milter filter by evaluating the results of the antivirus scanner. Why would this be a better choice than quarantining, for example, or tagging?For one thing, we do not accept the message and no further resources are allocated to this mail: processing, storage, backup, double-checks etc. For unwanted traffic, this is a very good thing as it minimizes your problems. However, what happens if, unfortunately, the refused message is a legitimate mail? Let’s compare the three valid choices: quarantining, tagging or refusing the message.

To learn more about our innovative, Milter-based filtering, please continue to read this whitepaper by clicking here: Innovative Mail Filtering, or contact us at: sales@axigen.com. We also invite you to sign up to our free, live webinar organized in partnership with the The Radicati Group:

Remember the old days when newspaper vendors stood around in corners shouting “Extra, Extra, Read all about it!” and so on. Marketing has come a long way since then. Now there are ways for sellers to reach specific consumers who are interested and even looking for their products by using creative ways to reach them and keep them interested in the product.
What are some of the ways in which Creative Marketing is achieved?
There is an entire industry in the United States that cater to the Direct Mail marketing sector. They specialize in producing attractive and colourful paper, paints, printing methods, envelopes and other materials that the would-be customer is eager to open and even keep as a memento.
Some of the ideas that are being used in various countries and will certainly work in Australia are:
1. Personalized material. Regardless of the medium used to send the information to the targeted audience, using their name outside and inside the mailer will be very useful. Along with the information in the mailer, coupons based on their name or town, bookmarks with their name and sometimes even websites individualized with their name are highly effective.
2. Postcards – Amazingly colourful postcards in glossy finish with a handwriting style print is absolutely attractive to the consumer. Although postcards have limited space, they can get the attention of the consumer and also double as a bookmark or teacup cover. There is an added advantage that the postcard would be looked at again and again and not thrown in the waste bin with the other materials.
3. CDs and DVDs are attractive and easy to produce. They not only live forever, they may be used in arts and crafts, as teacup covers or teacup bases, and are indestructible. An attractive cover or label will last forever in the home.
4. Address labels are sometimes sent to the targeted audience to establish a rapport with them. Most people save money on Address labels and this will certainly encourage them to open the envelope and look at the offer.
5. Sometimes people send return envelopes with stamps already on them. This is to enable people to use the stamps or feel guilty and send the offer in anyway.
6. Some charity offers come with coins attached to the envelope. This practice was started to get the future customer to open the envelope and send it back with more money in it.
7. Paperback books, flyers and magazine offers are sent along with Direct Mail packages to induce people to open and use the information inside.
8. Small boxes are sent which look like gift wrapped presents so that the recipient will open them and look inside. These “dimensional mailers” are used during festival or holiday seasons to encourage the curiosity.
There are also envelope mailers that include a collection of local and other offerings in various industries all gathered together in a bundle to evoke the recipient’s curiosity.
The methods of creative Direct Mail also include sending the envelopes in see-through packages and including little notepads or business cards with magnetic stickers on them so that the customer will put it up on the refrigerator for future use. Some of these mailers may also be hand delivered into the mail box with coloured gem like stones attached to them.
The best way to get the attention of consumers is to put a little sample of the product into the mailer and also include a coupon for it. This method also informs the marketer, through the use of the coupons, if the customer liked the new product or not.
In the United States, the percentage of Direct Mail packages jumped from 29% in 1980 to 45% in 2003. The success of this type of marketing depends on the accuracy of the address list which may be increased with predictive analytics software. With the new lessons learned from the rest of the world, Australia is poised to capture the Direct Mail Marketing industry and to reach every household with creatively advertised mail inserts.